Spain defeated Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final to lift the trophy for the second time; however, a viral referee drama between Spaniard Marc Cucurella and Argentinian star striker Lionel Messi has taken the internet by storm, reignited the greatest of all time (GOAT) debate between Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi.
Prior to the 2026 edition of the tournament, FIFA announced a red card penalty for remarks made by a player while covering his mouth, in a bid to combat racism in the sport.
A viral moment from the final shows Cucurella talking to Messi when he covered his mouth for a mere second and the master dribbler along with his teammate Enzo Fernandes, the only receiver of red card in the final, quickly filed a complaint to the referee. The referee waved it off.
Football fans were quick to compare the moment with a similar incident from Portugal’s Nation’s League game. A player from the rival team covered his mouth while saying something to the 41-year-old highest goal-scorer in the world.
Ronaldo did not complain about it and later advised the player not to cover his mouth, according to the video clips shared on X.
One of the fans wrote, “The media painting Ronaldo as the bad and arrogant one and this short man as the saint and good one is genuinely the greatest PR ever. This is a disgusting human being.. my world.” Another chimed in, “Big difference The GOAT is always the one that helps other players.”
However, it is pertinent to note that covering mouth during the match was not punished by a red card penalty before 2026.
2026-07-20 19:59:00
